Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of the wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades directly or indirectly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
The rotor blades generally include a blade root, a blade tip, and a blade shell extending between the blade root and blade tip. The blade shell generally defines an aerodynamic airfoil shape of the rotor blade and may be formed from a fiber-reinforced material, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like. Additionally, the blade shell is typically a composite design, being manufactured from separate shell components which are bonded together. To bond the shell components, a thick layer of adhesive is typically applied to one or both of the shell components. The shell components are then brought into contact with one another (e.g., by placing the shell components on top of each other) to form a thick adhesive bond line around the edge of the blade shell (i.e., the leading and trailing edges of the rotor blade).
A particularly sensitive area of the rotor blade is the trailing edge due to the relatively sharp edge created by the joint of the pressure and suction sides. Further, bothersome noise may be generated by the wind turbine due to the interaction between boundary layer air and the trailing edge.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved trailing edge protective cap for wind turbine rotor blades that address the aforementioned issues. More specifically, a trailing edge protective cap that protects the blunt trailing edge, reduces operation noise, and also captures more annual energy production (AEP) would be welcomed in the art, as well as a method of manufacturing same.